Lisanna's Hidden Sadness
by Naliforever
Summary: When the snow sprinkles neatly around Fairy Tail, no one knows of the small girl feeling the cool wind press against her face. She feels as if she is the only one who knows her own sadness - Lisanna. Somehow, though, the wounds in her heart slowly begin to heal, staying around with Natsu, one of her guild members and her childhood friend. Nali forever
1. Chapter 1

Lisanna shivered standing outside the Fairy Tail guild, feeling the cold snow press against her face. She smiled. She liked this type of year, when it snowed, and it turned into a bitter cold at Magnolia. Sighing, she continued to walk down a path down a small forest. She turned at every corner, and stopped when she was finally at her destination.

She stopped in front of her mother's grave.

It's been already 10 years since she had died, and it seemed as if no one remembered. Lisanna thought it was sad how her own mom died during the winter, when it was the most beautiful season.

"It's already that time of year again, huh?" a voice said behind Lisanna sadly. The white-haired mage turned to see her sister, Mirajane, standing sadly in front of her.

"Mira-nee..." Lisanna muttered, "So you came too?"

Mirajane nodded, and smiled warmly, "Every year, I'd see you run off during this time, in a rush. It's as if you don't want anyone to know of your sadness, right? You just want it buried deep in the snow, where no one can ever find it."

Lisanna looked at the ground, silent. It was true, she didn't want to burden anyone with this. She just wanted to go alone. Somewhere no one worried for her.

"I was just the same," Mirajane continued, "But now, I realize it's not so bad to depend on my friends in my guild and family." She turned, and left saying, "You should head back soon. Natsu's looking for you, and I would imagine he's worried."

Lisanna muttered a thanks, and looked back to her mother's grave. That smile she would always force in the guild, and that happy laugh hid what she really felt inside. She just wanted to go back the way things were with Elfman, Mirajane, and her parents. She hated feeling that way, but if she could exchange her future for her past, she regretted to admit she would accept it. Even her memories with Natsu weren't strong enough to balance her heart in place.

And yet, she wanted to feel like with Natsu, she would be fine. With everyone else at the guild, that smile could be real, as well as her laugh.

Lisanna heard someone arrive from behind her, and she turned to see Natsu there, gasping for breath.

"So... here... you... are..." he stuttered.

The white-haired mage forced a smile, "Did Mira-nee tell you I was here?"

"Well, actually I came on instinct. I remembered when we were younger you told me you're mom died around this time," Natsu answered with a grin.

"I see," Lisanna replied, looking at the ground sadly, "And you still remember that?"

"Well, I guess so. It seemed pretty important to you, and I didn't want to forget it. I'm surprised no one else is here, though..."

"No one else knows," Lisanna answered, "Only you, Mira-nee, and Elf-nii-chan. I come here alone though."

"Oh," Natsu said, ruing what he said before, "So it's like some secret, or somethin'?"

Lisanna didn't answer, instead she sat on the snow, and gazed at the gray sky, while reaching her hand out in the air, pretending to clasp the clouds to herself.

"Isn't this time of year the prettiest?"

"Huh?"

"Mom always liked the snow packing around the area neatly. She said it looked like a Wonderland, and seemed as if all the troubles in this world suddenly disappeared. Too bad that way the day she too disappeared - but all her struggles and conflict here seemed to leave her, and I'm sure she's like an angel in the sky."

Natsu smiled at her, "Well you're pretty strong for someone who has lost their mother."

"No, to be perfectly honest, I'm not. It's hard to smile without her, and it's hard to enjoy life without her. Everyday, I want to cry, but for some reason, the tears won't come out. It's not that I hated her, but it's harder for me to admit that she left this world. She's gone. Even if I look in the village, or even in a different country, I will never find her."

Natsu sat next to her, while saying,

"I wouldn't say that, you'll find her one day, but until that day comes, you have to live towards the future, with a new fate, and new choices. You have friends don't you? So why are you alone here? Everyone at this guild has a sad past, but that's why we're all here - to look towards the future, make new friends, and new enemies - like that Gray bastard..."

Slight tears formed in Lisanna's eyes. They slowly trickled down her cheeks, as she tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"It's even worse if your going to cry about it!" Natsu exclaimed nervously, trying to figure out if he made her cry.

Lisanna noticed her tears, and managed to say, "No, I'm sorry, it's not your fault. I'm just... I'm just so glad."

Natsu looked at her confused, wondering how someone could cry out of happiness.

"I'm sure Mom will be glad to know I picked out a new husband," Lisanna teased, trying to take out her tears, as she stood.

"What did you say?!"

"You did promise me when we were younger, right?"

"But... that was like a million years ago..." Natsu argued, turning bright red.

"Right, right, you still have a few more years to mature. Now come on, let's go back to the guild," Lisanna smiled, reaching for his hand, and pulling him up.

And so, they both hurried back to their guild, where Mirajane waited for them, and welcomed them in.

_Little by little, _Mirajane thought, _Although it may take a while... Lisanna will be healed from her wounds in her heart. I'm glad she has such a good friend like Natsu..._

"Mirajane!" Lisanna cried, "Hurry up!"

Mirajane smiled, watching her sister grow well with Natsu.

"I'm coming!"


	2. Snow Festival

In the long, lazy summers when there seemed nothing else to do but play, Lisanna and Natsu would find themselves running outside with Happy, pretending to be knights and warriors, often using Lisanna's power to turn into an animal to defeat other smaller and weaker creatures they could find. At the end of the day, when sunset laid low, finishing the hours in exchange for night, Lisanna, Natsu, and Happy would crawl in their small hut they made instead of following orders of immediately returning to the Fairy Tail Guild. Usually, Lisanna would be against staying out at night, but Natsu was able to persuade her to stay a while longer with them.

"I suppose it is what the wife has to do, after all," Lisanna would tease.

"Sh-shut up!" Natsu would often yell, embarrassed.

Happy would already be fast asleep, leaving the two young mages alone to talk the night away.

"Natsu, did you ever have a family?" Lisanna asked one night, as she gazed at the full moon, glimmering brightly.

"A family?"

"Yes! Like, a mama or a papa, or maybe you had brothers and sisters, like Mira-nee, and Elf-nii?"

"Eh? Well, my mama died before I was even born. Don't even ask me about my papa - I didn't hear any rumors about him."

"Oh? That seems so sad!"

"How so? Igneel was enough for me, he taught me everything I needed to know."

Lisanna highly doubted that, thinking perhaps Igneel did not teach Natsu well. She could remember when he was challenged by Erza to see if he could truly read, and it did not go too well. She giggled at the thought as Natsu looked at her with angry eyes.

"What's funny!" he exclaimed.

"Oh no, it's nothing, nothing," Lisanna reassured stifling a second burst of laugh.

Ignoring her, Natsu continued asking,

"What about you? Any parents?"

Lisanna's smile immediately stopped. Her eyes marked quickly of remorse and regret, as she could feel her cheeks burning red with anger.

"My mom died not too long ago," she finally said with a long sigh, "It was during the winter, before I met you, Natsu."

Unsure of what to say after a long silence to his friend, Natsu looked away from Lisanna's gaze, and eventually laid down on the ground, whining,

"Uwah, it sure is a hot day today!"

Forcing a smile, and wiping away the sadness with a laugh, Lisanna changed the mood, exclaiming,

"Stop that Natsu, you'll get grass in your hair!"

On their way back to the guild, with Natsu carrying a sleeping Happy, Lisanna would always ask him,

"Natsu, tell me that story again. About being a Dragon-slayer."

Immediately, Natsu grinned widely, and excitedly told her how he was taught Dragon-slayer magic to save the world from doom one day. Even though Lisanna was told many times, she would always act as if it was a new fairy tale each day, and everything he said was a surprise to her. Hearing his story made her filled with hope instead of sadness that someday she would be able to see her mother.

And thus, the years unfolded, and swiftly moved on with Lisanna and Natsu becoming closer, even after her fake death in Edolas.

After the eventful winter when the anniversary of Lisanna's mother had died, she had more happiness in the guild, smiling more and laughing with her friends, feeling the warmth and love in the beautiful atmosphere.  
Elfman seemed to be the only who was not affected by their mother's death, however, Mirajane was the only one who knew that he truly was suffering inside.

A few days later, when Lisanna was the first to awake so early the sun was barely peeping from the land, she saw from her window what seemed to be a festival brewing in the village. It was very cold outside, but even so there was so many majestic booths and she was even able to see a few of her guild members participating in the events. Excited, she attempted to awake Mirajane and Elfman, however their eyes did not fluster open. Lisanna decided to go outside, and searched for Natsu. Upon finding him, they both went to the parade, and their, they enjoyed the sights, looking with awe and astonished eyes.

"Let's cry out louder so your mom can hear us," Natsu grinned, trying to cheer up Lisanna.

"Yes, let's!" Lisanna smiled, attempting to hold back her tears.

And through the festivities of it all, everyone looked up at the sky to see it snow. Everyone pressed their faces against the cold snow, and laughed amongst each other. Everyone celebrated in the snow for what seemed like hours but was actually minutes, and just enough to have a few inches of snow on the ground.

"How beautiful," Lisanna whispered. Suddenly, however, she felt a squishy impact on her back, and she looked behind her to see Natsu with a grin who finished throwing a snow-ball at her.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed with an evil laugh.

"Natsu..." Lisanna muttered, throwing snow-balls at him too, "Come back here!"

Later, Lucy, Erza, Gray and the others joined them in the snow-ball fight, and then eventually returned to the Fairy Tail guild to drink hot chocolate, just like back then when they were all friends.

"Mama would be so proud," Mirajane whispered to Lisanna.

"I know," Lisanna smiled.

"Lisanna, let me tell you again the story where I became a dragon-slayer," Natsu exclaimed.

"Not that again!" Gray exclaimed, "Enough with your bragging!"

"What was that?!"

Giggling, Lisanna sat back, and thought to herself how much she would not be able to wait for next year's snow festival.


End file.
